California Protects Immigrant Youth by Expanding Access to Legal Counsel as Governor Newsom Signs Asm. Mia Bonta’s AB 1261

SACRAMENTO – This weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1261, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), to protect immigrant youth by ensuring access to legal counsel for unaccompanied minors and other young immigrants residing in California who are placed in federal immigration removal proceedings.

“While the Trump-Vance administration leads with cruelty, targeting minors for deportation by ICE, California is proving another way is possible: one rooted in compassion, due process, and basic human decency,” said Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland). “The signing of AB 1261 is a victory for the nearly 11,000 unaccompanied minors who navigate our state’s immigration courts each year. By expanding access to legal representation, we are ensuring more youth have a fair day in court and a fair shot at the California Dream. I thank Governor Newsom for standing with our immigrant communities in these tumultuous times.”

In his signing message for the bill, Governor Newsom highlighted that “[t]his population of youth is at greater risk of exploitation and trafficking due to their unique circumstances in the United States, and providing them with support for legal representation furthers their safety and stability in California.”

The bill’s signing comes just days after the Department of Homeland Security and ICE launched the so-called “Operation Freaky Friday,” targeting unaccompanied minors, some as young as 14, by offering them $2,500 to self-deport and relinquish their legal rights, even if they have valid claims to remain in the United States.

Last fiscal year, of the 99,381 unaccompanied children released nationwide from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, approximately 11% (10,819 children) resettled in California. These youth rely on critical legal and social programs that are increasingly being defunded, shuttered, or attacked by the Trump-Vance administration.

Without legal counsel, many face deportation even when eligible for asylum or other protections. According to the Executive Office for Immigration Review, unaccompanied children without counsel are nearly 100 times less likely to be granted relief than those represented by an attorney.

The new law has been praised as a practical and moral step forward for California:

“First 5 California applauds the signing of AB 1261 into law, a measure that protects the rights and wellbeing of unaccompanied children by ensuring they have access to legal representation. Ensuring that no child faces life-altering legal proceedings alone is not just a legal responsibility — it is a moral imperative,” said Jorge De La Cruz, First5 California.

“We thank Governor Newsom, Asm. Bonta and the California Legislature for standing with children by making AB 1261 law. This important measure recognizes that unaccompanied children who arrive without a parent or legal guardian—often fleeing persecution, trafficking, and other harms—deserve support, protection, and care. By ensuring access to an attorney, California affirms that every child must have a day in court with an attorney by their side to seek safety and protection under the law. The federal government’s recent illegal mass deportation effort of children of Guatemalan origin in the middle of the night and the lawsuit that followed make clear that legal access can be life-saving for children in harm’s way. With AB 1261, our state has taken a compassionate and necessary step forward, guaranteeing that the most vulnerable among us are not left without a voice,” said the Acacia Center for Justice.

“We applaud Governor Newsom for signing AB 1261. By authorizing county public defenders to represent unaccompanied undocumented minors, this law ensures that these young people have trusted, experienced advocates by their side in immigration proceedings. AB 1261 reflects California’s leadership in advancing justice and reaffirms the essential role of public defenders in protecting the rights of the most vulnerable,” said the California Public Defenders Association.

Immigrants are vital to California’s social and economic fabric, contributing over $1 trillion to the state’s economy annually and paying more than $8 billion in state and local taxes. With AB 1261, California continues to affirm that protecting immigrant rights is both a moral and economic imperative.

AB 1261 will take effect January 1, 2026.

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Assemblymember Mia Bonta represents California’s 18^th Assembly District encompassing the East Bay including Oakland, Alameda, and Emeryville. She also chairs the Assembly Health Committee.

Courtesy photos can be found HERE